Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
Severalwitnesseswereputuptosweartotheintemperateexpressionswhichtheyoungsquirehadbeenheardtoutteraboutthedoctor,andthefierymannerinwhichheresentedtheallegedill-treatmentofhissister.Mrs.Maddingrepeatedherevidenceastothevisitwhichhadbeenpaidlateatnightbytheprisonertothedeceased,anditwasshownbyanotherwitnessthattheprisonerwasawarethatthedoctorwasinthehabitofsittingupaloneinthisisolatedwingofthehouse,andthathehadchosenthisverylatehourtocallbecauseheknewthathisvictimwouldthenbeathismercy.Aservantatthesquire’shousewascompelledtoadmitthathehadheardhismasterreturnaboutthreethatmorning,whichcorroboratedMrs.Madding’sstatementthatshehadseenhimamongthelaurelbushesnearthegateupontheoccasionofhersecondvisit.Themuddybootsandanallegedsimilarityinthefootprintsweredulydweltupon,anditwasfeltwhenthecasefortheprosecutionhadbeenpresentedthat,howevercircumstantialitmightbe,itwasnonethelesssocompleteandsoconvincing,thatthefateoftheprisonerwassealed,unlesssomethingquiteunexpectedshouldbedisclosedbythedefence.Itwasthreeo’clockwhentheprosecutionclosed.Athalf-pastfour,whenthecourtrose,anewandunlooked-fordevelopmenthadoccurred.Iextracttheincident,orpartofit,fromthejournalwhichIhavealreadymentioned,omittingthepreliminaryobservationsofthecounsel.
